Q: Isn't the move already official?
No - Congress recently appropriated $85 million to move Discovery to Houston, but the shuttle is still with the Smithsonian, and they intend to hold on to her. In 2012, NASA gave the Smithsonian “all rights, title, interest and ownership” of the shuttle, and the museum continues to have full ownership. In addition to that, the cost of moving Discovery and building a new display in Houston is certain to exceed $85 million (more detail below), and risks irreparable damage to the shuttle.
Q: Isn’t Texas a good place for a shuttle since NASA has a big presence there?
While Houston and Texas have played an important role in NASA’s history, the decision on where the shuttles would go was made through a thorough, nationwide process more than a decade ago. Museums across America submitted proposals, and NASA selected locations based on clear criteria like preservation capability, public access, and historical significance - not politics.
Importantly, this was never about “denying Texas a shuttle” - in fact the NASA leader who made the final decision was a long-time Houston resident and a founding member of the Space Center Houston board! Today, many Texans support showcasing space history in Houston, but not at the expense of damaging and relocating a Smithsonian artifact, and KeepTheShuttle has more supporters in Texas than almost any other state.
Q: Why shouldn’t the Space Shuttle Discovery be moved from the Smithsonian?
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is America’s national museum devoted to aerospace, and hosts the most important artifacts from over a century of American aviation and space exploration. It is the most appropriate, secure, and respected home for Discovery - the most flown spacecraft in history and flagship of the Space Shuttle fleet. The Smithsonian is where millions of Americans and international visitors come to engage with our shared aerospace legacy. Removing Discovery from the Smithsonian undermines the principle that national treasures should be preserved and displayed in national institutions for the benefit of all, not redistributed based on political maneuvering.
Q: But wasn’t legislation passed to move it? Doesn’t that make it legitimate?
The provision to move Discovery was quietly inserted into a massive funding bill by two Texas senators after standalone legislation to enact a move failed to pass. That’s not democracy - it’s legislative sleight of hand. Setting a precedent where just two elected officials can override expert museum curation and national heritage decisions with backdoor deals is dangerous. It invites future interference in how we preserve and display all of our national history, and not just Discovery.
Q: Isn’t the move going to cost just $5 million? Isn’t that reasonable?
Absolutely not. The $5 million cited is only for transportation - and that figure is questionable. The funding bill allocated $85 million for both the move and new display facility in Houston, but the Smithsonian & NASA have since estimated that the true cost of the move will be at least $120 million to $150 million, not counting the cost of a new display. That’s a massive taxpayer expense just to undo a decision made over a decade ago by professionals, for no public benefit.
Q: Can’t they just fly Discovery to Houston like they did before?
No - they can’t. The two specially modified Shuttle Carrier Aircrafts (based on the Boeing 747) used for ferrying orbiters are fully decommissioned. Ironically, one of them is on static display at the same museum in Houston that’s trying to acquire Discovery. No other aircraft in the world is certified or capable of safely transporting a shuttle. Overland transport is even more risky - Discovery is massive, fragile, and wasn’t built to be moved again. Water transport isn’t an option either - the shuttle is located over 25 miles from the nearest navigable body of water. Any attempt at relocation risks serious, irreversible damage to one of our nation’s most iconic engineering achievements.
Q: What’s the best way to preserve Discovery and honor her legacy?
Leave the shuttle at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where she has been since 2012. There, Discovery is protected, professionally maintained, and contextualized among other national artifacts like the Wright Flyer, Apollo 11 Command Module, Sprit of St. Louis, Enola Gay, and the SR-71 Blackbird. That’s how you honor a spacecraft that flew 39 missions, carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit, helped build the International Space Station, and brought hundreds of astronauts home safely time and again.
Q: Are you affiliated with the Smithsonian?
No, we are long-time supporters, who believe that national treasures like Discovery belong to all of us - not just to those who can sneak a clause into a budget bill.